127EAS25Q0016 Commercial Services_Combined SS_RFP or RFQ_2040522.docx

127EAS25Q0016 Conifer Planting Sierra National Forest

(i) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in subpart 12.6 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.

(ii) This solicitation is issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ).

(iii) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2024-05.

(iv) This procurement is set aside for 100% small business. The NAICS code is 115310 and the Small Business Size Standard is $11.5 million.

(v) Schedule of Items/Price Schedule

Project Description: Conifer Planting, Sierra National Forest.

Vendor Name: __________________________________Vendor UEI:___________________

(vi) Description of Requirement (including a list of any attachments) Auger planting of conifer seedlings in accordance with Statement of Work.

Attachment 1: Maps, Schedule of Items.

(vii) Date(s) and Place(s) of Delivery and Acceptance/Location USDA Forest Service Pineridge Ranger District (Balsam, Lakeshore, and Swanson Projects) 29688 Auberry Road Prather, CA 93651.

Statement of Work

Project SQF and SNF High Sierra Ranger District 2025 Reforestation General Information

1.0 Scope of Work

The purpose of this contract is to procure auger planting services for the High Sierra Ranger District of the Sierra National Forest, and hoedad planting for the Sequoia National Forest. The High Sierra district expects to plant approximately 110,000 seedlings and the SQF plant approximately 425,000 seedlings with this contract. This amount may vary up to 15%. The supplemental items will be used if there are extra trees left after the main item has been completed.

Item 1: High Sierra District:

Planting includes units in the Swanson, Lakeshore and Balsam projects. The Balsam units are generally at 5000 ft with some falling below 5500 feet elevation, they will be planted primarily with ponderosa pine, sugar pine and Douglas fir. The Lakeshore and Swanson units are higher (above 6000 feet) and will be planted with Jeffery pine, red fir, white fir, and sugar pine. The ponderosa and Jeffery pine are bare root stock all the other species are container seedlings.

The planting season for Balsam usually starts about March to April while the higher units usually start in late April into May. These dates are totally weather and snowpack dependent. It is highly likely there may be a break between the completion of the lower elevation units and the start of the higher elevation units. The Balsam units are near the town of Big Creek.

The Swanson units are located between Shaver and Huntington Lakes. The Lakeshore units are all near Huntington Lake. For certain species, at the request of the COR, the contractor will be required to place “shade cards” next to certain species to provide shade. The shade cards will be provided by the government. The specification on placing them is included in the specifications.

Items 2-4: Sequoia National Forest:

Conifer Planting on the 2015 Rough Fire (2.1, 2.2) Project locations are entirely on the Hume Lake Ranger District, Sequoia National Forest. Project units are between 4500-7000 feet in elevation and the approximate vicinity can be found here: Google Maps. Trees to be planted on the Rough units are anticipated to be stored in the tree cooler at the USFS Pinehurst Work Center located at 53921 CA-245, Miramonte, CA 93641. Biomass removal or mechanical piling was completed on 689 acres in 2022-2024. Machine mastication on approximately 10 acres was completed in 2024.

Conifer Planting on the 2021 KNP Fire and in Eshom Valley (2.3) Project locations are entirely on the Hume Lake Ranger District, Sequoia National Forest. Project units are between 4500-5500 feet in elevation and the approximate vicinity can be found here: Google Maps. Trees to be planted on the Rough units are anticipated to be stored in the tree cooler at the USFS Pinehurst Work Center located at 53921 CA-245, Miramonte, CA 93641. Biomass removal and mastication was completed in 69 acres in Eshom Valley in 2022 (units fall outside of KNP fire footprint). No site prep was completed for 204 acres in KNP Fire reforestation units.

McKenzie Ridge Manual Site Preparation on the 2015 Rough Fire (2.5) Project locations are entirely on the Hume Lake Ranger District, Sequoia National Forest. Project units are between 5000-6000 feet in elevation and the approximate vicinity can be found here: Google Maps. No site prep was completed in manual site preparation reforestation units.

Manual Release on the 2015 Rough Fire and Eshom Valley (2.4) Project locations are entirely on the Hume Lake Ranger District, Sequoia National Forest. Project units are between 4500-7000 feet in elevation and the approximate vicinity can be found here: Google Maps. No site prep was completed in manual release Rough Fire and Eshom Valley reforestation units.

Conifer Planting on the 2020 Castle Fire (3.1, 3.2) Project locations are entirely on the Western Divide Ranger District, Sequoia National Forest. Project units are between 6000-8000 feet and the approximate vicinity can be found here: Google Maps. Trees to be planted in the Needles Lookout Rd, Sequoia Crest and Cedar Slope units are anticipated to be stored in the tree cooler at the USFS Hot Spring Work Center, 42824 M-50, California Hot Springs, CA 93207. Biomass removal or mechanical piling was completed on 381 acres in 2024. Hazard trees were removed on 70 acres of roadside in 2024.

Conifer Planting on the 2021 Windy Fire (3.3) Project locations are entirely on the Western Divide Ranger District, Sequoia National Forest. Project units are between 6000-7200 feet in elevation and the approximate vicinity can be found here: Google Maps. Trees to be planted on the Sugarloaf/Packsaddle units are anticipated to be stored in the tree cooler at the USFS Hot Spring Work Center, 42824 M-50, California Hot Springs, CA 93207. Biomass removal or mechanical piling was completed on 85 acres in Packsaddle Grove in 2024. Hazard trees were removed along 113 acres of roadside units in 2024. No site prep was completed for remaining 737 acres in Windy Fire reforestation units.

Conifer Interplanting on the 2002 McNally Fire (4.1) Project locations are entirely on the Kern River Ranger District, Sequoia National Forest. Project units are between 8200-9000 feet in elevation, and the approximate vicinity can be found here: Google Maps. Trees to be planted on the McNally Fire units are anticipated to be stored in the tree cooler at the USFS Kernville Work Center at 13075-13113 Sierra Way, Kernville, CA 93238. Salvage logging was completed in 2004. Manual shrub cutting to prepare 12” diameter planting spots (70 spots per acre) was completed in summer 2023. Planted in spring 2024 at ~200 trees per acre.

At this time the areas are being prioritized, mapped and prescriptions for spacing and species mixes are being prepared.

The planting is to be completed using an auger to create the planting hole not hoe-dads or similar hand tools.

The objective is to plant all the trees that the forests have available (approximately 110,000 on SNF and 425,000 on SQF).

Prospective contractors desiring an explanation or interpretation of the solicitation, drawings, specifications, etc., must request it in writing from the Contracting Officer soon enough to allow a reply to reach all prospective contractors before the solicitation closing date. Oral explanations or instructions given before the award of a contract will not be binding. In no event shall failure to inspect the site constitute grounds for a claim after contract award. The Contractor shall provide everything--including, but not limited to, all equipment, supplies, transportation, labor, and supervision--necessary to complete the project, except for that which the contract clearly states is to be furnished by the Government.

Units in the Huntington Lake area and in some of the Balsam units near Big Creek and Camp Sierra are very open and adjacent to populated areas. The contractor is required to provide porta potties for his/her crew to use while working in these units.

Estimated Start Date & Contract Time:

Anticipated Start Date: 3/10/2025. The start time is dependent on the winter weather and may be earlier or later depending on the snow- pack and spring temperatures. There is also the possibility that there will be a break between when the low elevation units are finished the high elevation units are ready. Due to work being on two different forests, there is a possibility that both forests may need to start at the same time. The contractor will need to be able to accommodate working at both locations at the same time with different crews.

Restrictions on Work:

Work may be performed at any time during the period of the contract, except as outlined here. Restrictions are as follows:

1. In accordance with the fire plan, if included.

2. When the Contracting Officer (or designated representative) determines that adverse weather has made access too dangerous or that continued vehicular travel would cause unacceptable road damage.

3. When the Contracting Officer (or designated representative) determines weather conditions and soil conditions are too wet or too dry to safely plant the seedlings to specification. Example: when the soil is too wet and muddy it becomes impossible to properly tamp the hole during auger planting.

2.0 Background

SNF High Sierra District:

The units were all impacted by the Creek fire (2020). They have all been prepared for planting by cutting the dead material and piling the slash for burning. The burning is being completed during the current field season and will be finished in time for planting. Several units have been sprayed as a site preparation treatment.

The planting will take place in three areas. The Balsam units are near the village of Big Creek, the Swanson units between Shaver Lake and Huntington Lake and the Lakeshore units near Huntington Lake. Additional units that may be planted if needed (to use all the trees) will be agreed upon.

Balsam: From the district office in Prather ca. follow highway 168 beyond the town of Shaver Lake to the intersection with the Huntington Lake Road. Turn onto Huntington Lake Road and follow it several miles to the community of Camp Sierra. Units are located along this hillside.

Swanson: These units are located between Shaver Lake and Huntington Lake and accessed from Highway 168.

The Lakeshore units are all located near Huntington Lake. Access is also from Highway 168.

Sequoia National Forest:

The project is on the Hume Lake, Western Divide, and Kern River Ranger Districts of the Sequoia National Forest, and the specified work is in support of reforestation efforts within five distinct wildfire footprints, having occurred between 2015-2021, and with varying degrees of completed site preparation. All project areas under this contract occur in areas where high-severity wildfire or insect/drought mortality resulted in 90% or greater basal area loss. Reforestation of project areas under this contract aim to (1) re-establish healthy and diverse forest conditions that provide wildlife habitat and (2) Maintain and improve functional watersheds and restore ecological integrity including carbon sequestration.

Exclusions (Non-Work Areas):

In all the planting units there may be unplantable ground due to rock, green trees, meadows, roads, skid trails, landings, controlled areas, and streamside zones. The contractor will plant around these areas, some will be flagged but many will not. The Government will have an inspector on site to help with identifying these areas.

Accessibility:

No vehicles will be permitted to operate off Forest Service system roads without approval of the Contracting Officer’s Representative.

Inaccessibility due to snow, fallen trees, mud, slides, or washouts on roads may or may not be corrected at the option of the Government. If road access is blocked, the Government may, under the Changes Clause (1) provide an alternate access route, (2) delete the inaccessible unit(s), or (3) require an "unspecified walk in". In all cases the government will make a best effort to get the trees to the unit or as close as possible. It is still the contractor’s responsibility to get the workers and necessary equipment to the units.

Maps:

Any Maps included are general in nature and are not to be considered as definitively identifying locations.

The contractor will be provided an electronic version suitable for use with geo referenced application like Avenza.

Contractor Requirements

3.0 Technical Requirements / Tasks

PRIORITY OF WORK:

The Contracting Officer’s Representative may specify a priority of work by item, block, or sub-unit within the item without additional cost. In nearly all cases, work will move to adjacent units of work.

CREW SCHEDULING:

The Contractor shall submit to the COR, for approval, a schedule of work at the pre-work conference. The Schedule will include the proposed work- days and the proposed size and number of crews to be assigned to the contract. If the contractor intends to have more than one crew or if additional crews are needed due to being behind schedule or unseasonable weather, the Contractor shall request this in writing to the COR. The Government will attempt to accommodate the contractors wish to have several or very large crews, however, government manpower is limited and there may be a point where the government can no longer adequately administer very large or multiple crews at which time the contractor will have to limit the amount of manpower assigned to this project.

Any changes in crew plans or schedules need to be submitted for approval to the CO and COR 48 hours prior to any changes becoming effective.

PLANTING OPERATIONS AND WORK STANDARDS:

All operations shall be performed in an organized manner, and in groups of the entire crews. This includes, but is not limited to, arrival, bagging, re-bagging, planting, and completion of a unit. Planting with scattered crews within or between units shall not be permitted except as necessitated by on-the- ground conditions and then only when approved by the Contracting Officer’s Representative. Also see, Special Requirements. All work shall meet the contract specifications. Seedlings shall be planted to the boundary of all work areas and around the perimeter of all non-work areas within the work unit. Seedlings shall not be planted on landings, fire lines, skid trails, or haul roads unless directed to do so by the COR.

Planting areas include recent fire, insect mortality/hazard tree removal activities. Initial and interplant areas may have some natural seedlings, older plantation trees or surviving large trees. (See Specifications) The Government will take care of the seedlings until they are given to the planters. The planters shall follow the specifications for proper care and handling of the seedlings.

CARE AND HANDLING OF SEEDLINGS:

The Contractor shall adhere to the following specifications for care, protection, and planting of all tree seedlings in his/her possession:

a. Seedlings shall always be protected from drying, heating, smothering, freezing, crushing, drowning, abrasion, rapid temperature fluctuations, or contact with injurious substances.

b. Seedlings stored in boxes, bags or bundles shall not be exposed to direct sunlight. Punctured or torn bags or boxes shall be promptly resealed. Containers of seedlings shall be opened only in full shade. Bundles, bags, or boxes shall be separated to provide free air movement.

c. Seedlings shall not be removed from shipping containers until needed for preparation for planting.

d. Seedlings shall be planted without further root or top pruning or culling. If pruning or culling appears necessary, or if mold, dry roots, evidence of injury, or drying is seen, the condition shall be reported to the Contracting Officer’s Representative immediately. Seedling roots shall not be pruned, clipped, or cut by the Contractor or Contractor's employees.

e. Frozen seedlings shall not be handled until completely thawed. They shall be thawed in full shade.

f. The number of seedlings provided for each “bag-up” shall be determined by the government. The seedlings carried in planting bags shall not exceed the number that can be carried and removed without injury. The seedlings shall be planted before heating or drying of roots occurs. The Contracting Officer’s Representative will determine an acceptable number of seedlings allowed per bag-up. Species composition, seedling size, nursery bundling, length of time to plant and weather conditions will be considered in determining the number of seedlings per bag-up.

g. Seedlings in planting bags shall have only their tops exposed.

h. Seedlings shall be gently removed from the planting bags, one at a time, to prevent stripping or injury. The seedling shall not be removed until the planter is at the planting hole and the hole has been prepared for planting. The planters are not to remove more than one tree at a time (even when planting two trees at each planting spot) or remove trees while walking between planting spots. It is very important to minimize the amount of time the seedling roots are exposed to the air.

i. Seedlings placed in bags shall be planted out before lunch, before the end of the day, or before any other significant work stoppage, and not returned to storage.

District personnel will deliver the seedlings to the work site or as close as possible. The district will also be responsible for storage at the work site. The process will be that the district will unload the trees, dip them in a water /vermiculite mixture (bare root) and then distribute the seedlings to the planters.

SPECIFICATIONS, PLANTING

SPACING

SNF High Sierra District:

The spacing for all units will be 18ft by 18ft. This equals, on a perfect acre, 135 planting spots per acre. Two seedlings will be planted in each planting spot for a total of 270 planted trees per acre. In actual field conditions this will likely be less.

The specified average spacing may be varied up to 25 percent in any direction to find a suitable planting spot. The number of seedlings planted per acre, however, shall not be materially increased or decreased because of individual planting spot selection.

Each planting spot shall be planted with two seedlings of the same species.

In the units with multiple species being planted, each planting spot will be planted with only one species. If the planter has only one of a species left in the planting bag the planter shall plant a second tree of a different species.

SQF Districts:

Trees will be planted at an average of 200 trees per acre (TPA) across all project sites, however TPA between individual projects and units may vary significantly. Prescriptions are subject to change to accommodate TPA targets based on final seedling numbers.

For items 2.1 and 2.3 planting on the Rough and KNP Fires (HLRD):

· One seedling shall be planted per planting spot.

· Planting spots shall be centered in a scraped 2 x 2-foot area and spaced at an average of 15 x 15 feet apart.

· Planting spots shall be micro-sited on the north-east side of shade objects on south-facing slopes whenever possible. See Section 3.15, Tree Spacing Requirements for details on variable spacing to prioritize micro-siting and achieve a patchy distribution.

· Seedlings may include a mix of Jeffrey pine, ponderosa pine, white fir, sugar pine and giant sequoia, depending on the site.

SUPPLEMENTAL: For Item 2.2 on McKenzie Ridge (Rough Fire):

· One seedling shall be planted per planting spot.

· Planting spots shall be centered on a scraped 4x4 foot area.

· Planting spots shall be prepared beforehand using manual site preparation (loppers and mcleods) (item 1.5).

· Prepared planting spots shall be spaced approximately 25x25 feet apart for up to 70 TPA.

· Planting spots shall be micro-sited on the north-east side of shade objects wherever possible. See Section 3.15, Tree Spacing Requirements for details on variable spacing to prioritize micro-siting and achieve a patchy distribution.

· Seedlings may include a mix of Jeffrey pine, ponderosa pine, white fir, and sugar pine depending on the site.

For items 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 planting on the Castle and Windy Fires (WDRD):

· One seedling shall be planted per planting spot.

· Planting spots shall be centered on a scraped 2 x 2-foot area and spaced an average of 15 x 15 feet apart.

· Planting spots shall be micro-sited on the north-east side of shade objects wherever possible. See Section 3.15, Tree Spacing Requirements for details on variable spacing to prioritize micro-siting and achieve a patchy distribution.

· Seedlings may include a mix of Jeffrey pine, ponderosa pine, white fir, sugar pine and giant sequoia, depending on the site.

For item 4.1 interplanting planting on the McNally fire (KRRD):

· Interplant units were planted in Spring 2024. The 2024 planting did not include Western White Pine.

· One seedling shall be planted per pre-prepared planting spot.

· Planting spots shall be located within previously prepared 12 x 12-foot openings, centered in a newly scraped 2 x 2-foot area.

· Minimum interplant distance shall be 2-4 feet from any existing seedling.

· Planting spots shall be centered on a scraped 2 x 2-foot area within the planting spots prepared.

· Planting spots shall be micro sited on the northeast side of shade objects wherever possible.

· All seedlings to be interplanted are Western White Pine (PIMO).

For Items 2.6, 3.4 and 3.5 planting on Rough, KNP, Windy and Castle Fires:

· Implement Individuals, Clumps and Openings (ICO) experimental planting prescription for one planting unit per fire footprint.

· Seedlings shall be planted in clusters of 2 to 7 stems with approximately 4-6 ft spacing among stems in a cluster and 15-25 ft spacing among clusters. (Appendix D) One of the stems may be a tree seedling already growing on site, especially oak, giant sequoia or cedar.

· Planting approach would skip areas of rocky soils, natural regen, and resprouting hardwoods.

· Covariates could include microsite conditions (e.g., wet vs. dry site), shrub presence, and other variables.

SUPPLEMENTAL- For Item 3.6 planting on Castle Fire:

· Experimental Network for Assisted Migration and Establishment Silviculture (ENAMES) experimental planting prescription for 16 acres included in 2.2.

· The experimental design is a randomized block of 32 plots. Each plot is 0.5 acres in size. Two treatments shall be tested with four replications per treatment. Each of the 4 replications is an individual seed lot.

· Prior to implementation, each 0.5 acres plot will be marked with rebar at each corner and pin flags along boundaries. A large metal pole will mark the center of each plot and be color coded to represent replication. Plot boundaries and center will be marked in advance by AF or USFS staff.

· American Forests or USFS will organize seedlings boxes color-coded to match the plots in which they will be planted. Contractor is responsible for ensuring the color-coded matching seedlot is planted in the matching color-coded marked plot.

· Treatments may include variations such as release vs no release, containerized vs bareroot or two different spatial patterns, etc.

· One seedling shall be planted per spot (ponderosa pine only) at an average of 15 ft spacing, with minimum distance of 6 ft between trees. Planting spots shall be centered on a scraped 5x5 foot area.

· Planting spots shall be micro-sited on the north-east side of shade objects wherever possible. See Section 3.15, Tree Spacing Requirements for details on variable spacing to prioritize micro-siting and achieve a patchy distribution.

· Maps will be provided with locations and boundaries of all plot locations.

The sugar pine should be planted near the unit boundaries or near islands of unburned trees in locations that provide some shelter and shade.

The area where a pile has been burned is a preferred place to plant. The contractor shall take advantage of this and maximize planting in these burned spots. Care must be taken when preparing the planting spot in the burned area to clear to mineral soil not just plant through the ash. If planting a unit with un-burned piles the seedling shall be planted at least 5 feet from the edge of the pile.

When trees are planted too closely together and the average number of trees per acre exceeds the calculated maximum the excess trees will be deemed wasted.

The contractor will not be paid for wasted trees and may be charged a fee for each wasted tree, up to $15.00 per tree. This applies to all planting items.

SUPPLEMENTAL: Item 2.4 Rough Fire Units 321-3 and 37-2 and Eshom Valley Manual Release Technical Specifications

The Contractor shall be responsible for conducting this treatment on the live seedlings planted in Item 2.4 Eshom Valley Unit 162 and McKenzie Ridge Units 321-3 and 37-2 that occur within the paid-acre area.

Timeline: The treatment will be done after the planting when American Forests has determined the time is correct for an effective treatment. This is predicted to be 2-4 weeks after planting, in March-May of 2025. The contractor will be notified at least five calendar days in advance of the start date.

A. MANUAL RELEASE SPECIFICATIONS:

The plants expected to be re- growing on the site include annual grass, manzanita, ceanothus and bear clover. The Contractor is to treat all the vegetation surrounding planted or natural seedlings as specified.

· All vegetation must be removed within 3 feet surrounding each seedling.

· The vegetation around the tree shall be completely severed at or just below ground level.

· The work shall be accomplished without causing any damage to natural or planted seedlings.

· Standing dead material within the specified radius can be removed if necessary but is not required.

· Material shall be spread and not piled. No cut green material shall be left in the scrape. It is ok to leave some dry material in the scrape, but it must be completely severed and not bury or lean against natural or planted seedlings.

· It is expected that this work can be completed using hand tools such as a Macleod and loppers.

SUPPLEMENTAL: Item 2.5: McKenzie Ridge Manual Site Prep Units 105-2, 321-2, 321-3 and 37-1, 37-2, 37-3, and 43-2 Technical Specifications

The contractor shall be responsible for conducting this treatment on all acres in Item 2.5 McKenzie Ridge Units 321-3 and 37-2 prior to planting.

Timeline: The treatment will be done before the planting when American Forests has determined the time is correct for an effective treatment, which is expected to be one week before planting in March-April 2025. Unless otherwise negotiated with American Forests, the minimal acceptable daily rate of progress for conifer planting items under this contract is an average of 4.0 acres per day. The contractor will be notified at least three calendar days in advance of the start date.

A. MANUAL SITE PREPERATION SPECIFICATIONS:

The plants expected to be growing on the site include deer brush, manzanita, ceanothus and bear clover. The contractor is to treat all the vegetation in a 4-foot diameter planting spot as specified:

· All vegetation must be removed within a 4x4 foot planting spot.

· Prepared planting spots shall be spaced 25x25 feet apart for a total of 70 planting spots per acre.

· The vegetation around the tree shall be completely severed at or just below ground level.

· The work shall be accomplished without damaging any existing natural or planted seedlings.

· Standing dead material within the specified radius can be removed if necessary but is not required to be removed.

· Material shall be spread and not piled. No cut green material shall be left in the scrape. It is ok to leave some dry material in the scrape, but it must be completely severed.

· It is expected that this work can be completed using hand tools such as a Macleod and loppers.

PLANTING SPOT SELECTION AND PREPARATION

When possible, within the spacing requirements set forth in this contract, planting spots shall be selected where stumps, logs, dead brush, and terrain features provide partial protection from sun, wind, animals, loose debris, and other agents detrimental to seedling survival and growth.

No seedlings shall be planted closer to a planted or suitable existing tree than the spacing specifications. No seedlings are to be planted under the drip lines of suitable existing trees within and adjacent to unit boundaries.

Brush patches containing satisfactory planting spots shall be planted even though this may require spreading stems aside or working around the stems.

Landings, skid trails and fire lines are not to be planted unless otherwise directed by the COR or inspector.

Mounds of soil that have been created by equipment activities shall not be planted unless the scalper prepares the scalp all the way to ground level. Water bars are not to be planted. In the units some dead trees have been left to provide wildlife habitat. Planting should be carried on as if these snags were not there. The contractor shall pay attention to the condition of these snags and stay away from them if they appear unstable or likely to break.

The burned area resulting from burning a slash pile is a preferred planting spot. The contractor should take advantage of this and make sure each burned spot gets at least one planting spot. The scalper should make sure that the spot is cleared of ash to ground level.

The Contractor shall clear (“scalp”) the selected planting spot of all limbs, snow, bark, rotten wood, rocks, and other loose debris, and shall remove ash, duff, sod, crowns of living plants, masticated slash, roots and other material to expose moist mineral soil. The “scalpers” shall not be ahead of the planters so much that the scalps are drying before they are planted. If the planting spots are drying before the planters plant the spot it will be necessary for the scalpers to stop until the planters catch up. The determining factor is the dryness of the prepared site. The COR will make the determination.

The scalp shall be large enough that each tree is planted 1.5 feet from the other tree(s)(measured from the nearest edges of the hole) and each tree is at least 6 inches from the edge of the scalp (measured from the outside edge of the drilled planting hole). The planting hole must be far enough from the edge of the scalp so that only moist soil is placed in the hole not material that was removed during spot preparation. When preparing a spot for planting 2 trees per a scalp is necessary. A scalp will need to be a minimum of 38 inches by 18 inches.

It is very important to properly clear the planting spot. This prevents getting foreign material in the planting hole and helps the seedling to be seen and protected during subsequent activities.

PLANTING HOLES:

Planting holes shall be oriented at an angle between perpendicular to the slope and true vertical. Should the initial attempt to make a planting hole fail because of subsurface rock, roots, or other obstacles, a second effort shall be made in a slightly different part of the same planting spot. If this effort also fails for similar reasons, a third attempt shall be made in another part of the planting spot. If the third effort also fails, the spot shall be abandoned as an un-plantable spot. In the case of multiple trees per scalp if only one or two holes are successful, they shall be planted, there must be at least two attempts for each of the holes within the scalp.

The hole shall be at least 6 inches from the edge of the scalp, measured from the nearest edge of the hole. When there are multiple plantings per spot the trees shall be at least 18 inches apart.

Un-plantable auger holes shall be filled in with dirt by the auger operator.

Augers - the hole shall be made five centimeters (approx. 2 inches) deeper than the maximum root length specified. The auger shall not proceed so far ahead of the planters that the drilled hole or the excavated material will dry before planting. The auger shall be run at a speed that will deposit the excavated soil adjacent to the hole and not scattered to a distance that it would be unavailable for filling the hole, this usually means slowing the auger speed down while lifting it from the hole. Also, the hole must be placed so that the excavated dirt is still within the scalp and is available for refilling the hole without other material from outside the scalp.

An auger is required for all planting units designated for auger planting, except those portions of the planting units that are not suitable for an auger. When, prior to planting, in the judgment of the Contracting Officer’s Representative, a unit or part of a unit is not adaptable to auger planting, the Contractor may be allowed to plant that area using hand tools. This will strictly be a decision of the Government.

SEEDLING PLACEMENT:

Bare root seedlings: The seedling shall be suspended near the center of the hole with roots in a near natural arrangement at a depth, that, after filling, firming, and leveling, the soil comes to a point even with the root collar of the seedling. No portion of the roots shall be exposed, nor any needles or branches covered with soil. The proper depth is to the root collar. The roots shall not be doubled up, twisted, spiraled, or bunched. The root system shall be aligned with the axis of the planting hole with all roots extending downward.

Containerized seedlings: The seedlings shall be planted in the center of the prepared hole, deep enough so that two centimeters of soil placed on top of the plug and leveled with the surrounding soil surface will seal the plug into the ground. Containerized stock growing media shall not be distorted or broken from the root system during the planting process. The proper depth is the root collar of the seedling.

FILLING & FIRMING:

Auger planting: Moist mineral soil shall be filled in and firmed around seedling roots. Dry soil, ash, organic matter, rock, and other foreign material shall be kept out of the hole. Soil shall be filled in and firmed progressively, this usually requires placing some soil, about a third of the depth, then tamping with the hand, then adding the next third and tamping again and finally adding enough to fill the hole and tamping again. Tamping is not to be done using a stick or other implement. The result should be that there are no air pockets in the hole and that the tree is planted firmly enough that it cannot be pulled up with a tug on the needles, or a shovel handle cannot be pushed into the filled soil. The height of the tree must be correct as described in the seedling placement specification. The Contractor shall not wedge the sides of the hole. Firming the soil around the seedling shall be done in a manner that assures the seedling and root systems are not damaged. After the soil is firmed around the seedling, it shall be smoothed out to the level of the surrounding mineral soil surface. Properly planted, the seedling stem shall be erect and free to grow. The seedling shall not be weighed down with mud or debris.

SPECIES MIXTURE:

The species to be planted will be discussed at the planting site. To follow the planting prescription, the COR will determine the species mix, based on the number of planters available and the unit prescription.

SHADE CARD PLACEMENT:

Shade cards will be placed on each planting spot containing certain species (to be determined by the COR). One shade card is needed per seedling. Shade cards will be placed in south westerly fashion, so they are blocking the afternoon sun. It is best that the placement be more west. The shade card is to be placed about 2 inches from the seedling. The shade card is shaped like a croquet wicket with a fabric screen stretched between the two sides. The wicket is made of wire. The wire must be pushed into the ground deep enough to be sure it does not fall over. Shade cards will be provided by the government.

Landscape & Botanical preservation:

To maintain stand diversity, trees and/or brush providing homes for wildlife shall not be disturbed.

Protection of Sensitive Plant Populations: any protected plants located within any of the units will be designated for protection by the Contracting Officer Representative.

Land Survey Monuments:

The Contractor shall protect all known survey monuments, witness corners, reference monuments, and bearing trees against avoidable destruction, obliteration, or damage during the Contractor's operations.

Known corners are identified on the contract maps by black diamonds. It is the Contractor's responsibility to locate and protect them during operations.

If the Contractor causes such damage, the Contractor shall hire the appropriate registered land surveyor to establish or restore at the same location the monuments, corners, or accessories. Such surveyors shall use procedures in accordance with the "Bureau of Land Management Instructions for the Survey of the Public Lands of the United States" for the General Land Office surveys, and in accordance with the State law for others. The Contractor shall record such survey in the appropriate county records.

Archaeological and Historic Sites:

Location of known archaeological, historic, or prehistoric materials – such as Native American sites or artifacts and/or historic mining, logging, or fur trapping remains protected by the American Antiquities Act (16 USC 433) – will be identified for the contractor before work commences.

Protection of Cultural Resources. Location of known historic or prehistoric sites, buildings, objects, and properties related to American history, architecture, archaeology and culture, such as settler or Indian artifacts, protected by American Antiquities Act of 1906 (16 U.S.C. 431433), National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 470), and implementing regulations (36 CFR 800), the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, and the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 (PL 96-95 and 36 CFR 261.9(e)) will be identified on the ground by the Forest Service. The Forest Service may unilaterally modify or cancel all or portions of this contract to protect an area, object of antiquity, artifact, or similar object which is or may be entitled to protection under these Acts regardless of when the area, object or artifact is discovered or identified. Discovery of such areas or objects by either party shall be promptly reported to the other party.

The Contractor shall protect Controlled Areas (CA) shown on the Project Unit Maps, by AVOIDANCE, and shall protect all known and identified or discovered historic or prehistoric sites, buildings, objects, and properties related to American history, architecture, archaeology and culture against destruction, obliteration, removal or damage during the Contractor's operations. The Contractor shall immediately notify the Contract Officer if damage occurs to any cultural resources and immediately halt operations in the vicinity of the resource where damage occurred until the Contract Officer authorizes the Contractor to proceed. If such damage is negligently or willfully caused by the Contractor's operations, the Contractor shall bear costs of investigation and restoration in accordance with 36 CFR 296.14(c), provided that such payment shall not relieve the Contractor from civil or criminal remedies otherwise provided by law.

All known Controlled Areas are identified on the project map and on the ground with blue and black stripped flagging. The sites may be reflagged immediately prior to operations.

Spill Plan & Site Maintenance:

If the total oil or oil products storage exceeds 1,320 gallons or if any single container exceeds a capacity of 660 gallons, the Contractor shall prepare and implement a Spill Prevention and Countermeasures (SPCC) Plan. Such plan shall meet applicable EPA requirements (40 CFR 112), including certification by a registered professional engineer. The Contractor, under the direction of the Contracting Officer, or in the absence of said officer, acting independently, shall immediately take action to contain and clean up, without expense to the Government, all petroleum products spills on or in the vicinity of the project which are caused by the Contractor's employees directly or indirectly as a result of contract operations. The Contractor may be held liable for all damages and costs of additional labor, subsistence, equipment, supplies, and transportation deemed necessary by the Government for the containment and cleanup of petroleum products spills caused by Contractor's employees or resulting from contract operations. The Contractor shall immediately report all petroleum products spills to the Contracting Officer. The Contractor is responsible for the cleanup and removal of all trash from the work site.

Equipment Cleaning:

All off-road equipment used on this project shall be washed before moving into the project area so that the equipment is free of soil, seeds, vegetative material, or other debris that could contain or hold seeds of noxious weeds. “Off-road equipment” includes all logging and construction equipment and such brushing equipment as brush hogs, masticators, and chippers; it does not include log trucks, chip vans, service vehicles, water trucks, pickup trucks, and similar vehicles not intended for off-road use. Equipment will be considered clean when visual inspection does not reveal soil, seeds, plant material, or other such debris. Disassembly of equipment components or specialized inspection equipment is not required. Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer at least five days in advance of moving equipment in so that arrangements can be made for inspection. If the project area is known to contain noxious weeds, the equipment shall be cleaned before moving to other Forest Service system lands which do not contain noxious weeds.

Final cleanup:

Before final acceptance, all areas occupied by the Contractor in connection with the work shall be cleaned of all contractor’s rubbish (including food material), excess materials, temporary structures, and equipment, and all parts of the work area shall be left in a neat and presentable condition.

Contractor-Furnished Equipment:

The Contractor shall furnish and meet the following minimum requirements:

Hand tools for preparing the planting spot: This is usually completed with a hoe-like tool like a McLeod or Rogue Hoe.

Augers: Shall be capable of drilling a 10.2-centimeter (4 inch) diameter hole to a depth 5.08 cm (2 inches) deeper than the specified root length. The bit must be in good condition and not worn to the point that the hole is not full width all the way to the bottom. The auger shall not leak oil into the planting hole or onto the ground.

The contractor is required to use a vegetable oil based; biodegradable bar oil that is specifically designed to be used as bar oil.

Planting Tools: Contractor's planting tools shall meet the following minimum requirements: Hoedads or planting shovels will be required and shall be capable of digging a 12-inch-deep hole. For required scalping, the tool selected shall be capable of removing all material at the planting spot down to moist mineral soil, or other tools capable of scalping in advance of planting shall be provided by and used by the Contractor. The hand tools used by the Contractor for planting shall have a minimum 12- inch length and 4-inch-wide planting blade. The head or scalping blade of a hoedad is not to be included in the minimum length measurement. If the Contractor uses planting shovels but is unable to plant some portions of the ground which could be planted with a hoedad, the Contractor will then be required to plant those portions of ground with hoedads.

Planting Bags: Shall be a light color, shall not retain water or heat, shall have a minimum depth of 38 cm (15 inches), and shall be free of defects. Planting bags shall be clean and free from dirt and residue from prior planting operations when initial planting on this contract begins, or after any stoppage of work where the Contractor plants seedlings elsewhere. Each planting bag shall be equipped with an insulating liner specifically designed for that purpose.

Water and container for dipping bare root seedlings: The contractor must also provide a container and enough water for dipping bare root seedlings in a hydrogel such as Terrasorb. Water absorption will vary with each local tap water, so use more or less water as needed to achieve the desired consistency that allows the maximum amount of gel to adhere to the roots.

Water for Workers: The Contractor shall provide, for the crew, clean water in clean containers for both drinking and sanitation purposes.

Covered trailer for transporting seedlings: The Contractor shall provide a trailer for each crew to transport seedlings. Trailers shall be fully enclosed from the outside and have enough capacity to store approximately 15,000 seedlings. Trailers shall have with them a trash bin with trash bags. Trailers will be filled with seedlings at USFS tree coolers.

4.0 Government Furnished

Tree seedlings and shade cards: The Government will provide the planting stock (seedlings) and the shade cards to the Contractor for use in this contract. The planting stock may be either bare root or containerized. The Government will furnish tree seedlings and shade cards to a location point of four- wheel drive vehicle accessibility nearest the unit boundary, or to the point where the walk-in begins, unless other points are mutually agreed to by the Contracting Officer’s Representative and the Contractor. The container trees have been removed from the plastic tubes but still have a plug of soil attached to the roots. They are provided to the contractor in small plastic bags that usually contain 10 – 15 trees. The trees are to remain in the plastic bags as they are carried in the planting bag.

The Government may provide water, a container for dipping the bareroot seedlings and vermiculite slurry to dip the seedlings in before placing in the planting bag. The Government will dip bare root trees in the vermiculite slurry and then arrange them for the planters to pick up. Bareroot trees will be in bundles of approximately 50 trees. The container seedlings will be given to the planters in the small plastic bags, which normally hold 10 or 15 trees.

Root dipping material (such as Terrasorb) will be supplied for use on all bare root seedlings. Use a nontoxic, super-absorbent hydrogel material that absorbs up to 150 times its weight in water and releases water slowly in dry soils.

Each planter will be given anywhere between 25-250 trees at a time to plant. This will vary by the weather conditions and the amount of time it takes to plant out the bag. It will vary depending on weather conditions, unit size and factors of the day. It will be at the discretion of the government how many trees to hand out to the planters at a time. Each planter will be given only as many trees as can be planted before the seedlings are judged by the Government to be overly stressed. The number of seedlings given out in each bag up is also limited by the number that can be carried without risk of damaging the seedlings as they are removed from the bag.

The Government will arrange the seedlings for the planters to pick-up, usually near the trucks.

Public officials not personally liable:

There shall be no personal liability upon the Contracting Officer or officer in charge, their agents or employees, for any act performed in the discharge of any duty imposed or the exercise of any power or authority conferred upon them by, or within the scope of the contract, it being understood that in all such matters they act solely as agents and representatives of the Government.

Designation of Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR):

The Contracting Officer designates the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR). The COR is responsible for administering the performance of work under this contract. In no event, however, will any understanding, agreement, modification, change order, or other matter deviating from the terms of this contract be effective or binding upon the Government unless formalized by proper contractual documents executed by the Contracting Officer prior to completion of the contract. The Contracting Officer must be informed as soon as possible of any actions or inactions by the Contractor or the Government which will change the required delivery or completion times stated in the contract, and the contract may be modified accordingly. (This does not apply to individual task assignments which were issued by the COR provided they do not affect the delivery schedule or performance period stated in the contract.)

On all matters that pertain to the contract terms, the Contractor must communicate with the Contracting Officer. Whenever, in the opinion of the Contractor, the COR requests effort outside the scope of the contract, the Contractor should so advise the COR. If the COR persists and there still exists a disagreement as to proper contractual coverage, the Contracting Officer should be notified immediately, preferably in writing if time permits. Proceeding with work without proper contractual coverage could result in nonpayment.

DEFINITIONS:

BARE ROOT STOCK - Conifer seedling with little or no soil attached to the roots.

CONTAINERIZED STOCK - Conifer seedling grown in a container, with a growing medium attached to the roots.

DRIP LINE - The point where moisture dripping from the extremities of a living tree's crown would strikes the ground.

EXCESS TREE - Seedlings that are planted in excess of the maximum allowable seedlings as calculated in the plots.